Mid-Month Theme: Subway Day

I was waiting for the train at the Queens Plaza station last weekend when I spied this man, on the opposite platform, looking somewhat confused. He was reading the bulletins next to the subway map and trying to figure out which trains to take that day.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) frequently re-routes trains or pull them out of service on weekends to allow routine maintenance of the subway tracks. Most of the work are done on weekends to avoid inconveniencing commuters who rely on subway transportation on week days to get to the office on time.

Today is July 15, which means it is subway day. The theme is shared by the following bloggers:

Budapest - New York City - Paris - Stockholm

Echinaecia

Here is a macro shot of an echinaecia flower from the City Hall garden. Echinaecia (I don't know which part of the plant though) is frequently used/consumed as an alternative medicine to help the body to fight an infection.

When I first moved to NYC about10 years ago (August 1998), I was constantly sick from "absorbing" every one's germs in the subway train. A friend suggested I take a dietary supplement of echinaecia and golden seal root to boost my body's immunity to fight the NYC germs. I took his advice and it worked. Now, whenever I feel a little tired or a scratch throat coming, I start popping those supplements like candy.

So do you use alternative medicine?

Disclaimer: This blog DOES NOT promote the use of any product for medicinal purpose or make any medicinal claims.

Tumbling Mirages by Dennis Oppenheim

This installation art piece entitled, Tumbling Mirages by Dennis Oppenheim is one of the many public art projects sponsored by the Union Square Partnership and NYC Parks & Recreation department. The three 15-foot orbs, constructed from steel and fiberglass with multicolor panels, will remain at the southeast corner of the park until November 2008.

So have you ever tumbled (like circus artists) on a trampoline?

Floating Stairs

If you have fear of height like I do, this will not be a comfortable climb down the stairs for you. The stairwell constructed with glass (or plastic) gives the feeling that one is floating on air. This staircase was installed just inside the entrance to the Apple Store on 14th Street and 9th Avenue (otherwise known as the Meatpacking District).

Walking up the stairs was surprising not as terrifying as walking down. And ladies who wear mini skirts might want to take the elevator around the corner from the stairs.

So are you an Apple or an IBM person?

And God Created Adam

I saw this mural depicting one of Leonardo da Vinci's work, The Creation of Adam on the side of a building on Lafayette near Bond Street in Nolita (North of Little Italy) last weekend. The interesting thing about this mural is that both Adam and God were drawn as black men here.

The original painting (a fresco) was drawn on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City. I believe I saw the real painting when my parents took me to Italy when I was about 10 years old. I even tossed a couple of Italian liras into the Trevi Fountain in Rome hoping one day to go back to the city again.

So tell me, in which city did you have your best vacation?

Van Leeuwen Gourmet Ice Cream Truck

I noticed this Van Leeuwen Artisanal Ice Cream truck parked outside Trader Joe's on 14th Street between Lafayette and 3rd Avenue last weekend. There was a long queue for the ice cream and the flavors sounded interesting. Even the sign board was arty and distinctive.

I didn't get a chance to try the ice cream here because I was on my way to dinner and didn't want to ruin my appetite. But I got to say, the ginger and giandujia flavors sound foreign to me.

So what is the oddest flavored ice cream you have eaten?

Afternoon At Barnes & Noble

When the weather gets hot and humid like it has been the last couple of days -- "tropical like weather" as the weatherman called it last night -- where does one go to relax and cool off? The third floor of Barnes & Noble on 17th Street between Broadway and Park Avenue is the place to be. I would pick up some interesting magazines, grab a seat at one of the tables and happily sip my iced tea from the cafe inside the store.

So what is your beverage of choice on a hot sunny day?

Available for Adoption

I saw this little guy at an animal adoption booth on the corner of Broadway and 17th Street in Union Square recently. I'm not sure if this group is affiliated with the ASPCA and I will do some investigation on it later this week.

So have you ever adopted a pet before?

Obama T-Shirts & Buttons

The election for the new President of United States is only a few months away (November 4) and one of our presumptive candidates is, of course Mr. Barack Obama. This is a historic event for the country because Mr. Obama is the first African-American/black person who has come this far in the presidential race. In addition, Hilary Clinton was the first woman candidate to reach the final two nominations for the Democratic party.

All these events mean big businesses for retailers and artists who are capitalizing on the occasion to sell t-shirts, buttons, bags, etc. Earlier during the week, I saw a booth at Union Square selling mugs and posters of Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton for $15/piece. I don't think either candidate receive any money from the sale of those items.

So are you an out-and-proud political activist who would wear a t-shirt supporting a candidate or are you a quiet voter who won't discuss who you would vote for at an election?

Three Bridges of East River

Strangetastes of Saint Louis Daily Photo and his lovely bride visited me in NYC yesterday morning (Saturday) with their nephew, Michael. We went on a 30-minute cruise on the East River to view the Waterfall Exhibition by Olafur Eliasson. I think we all managed to have fun exploring the city despite the foggy and wet weather.

In the photo above, you can see one of the four artificial waterfalls -- this one is under the Brooklyn Bridge. You can also see three bridges that connect Manhattan Island to Long Island, starting with Brooklyn Bridge closest to the boat, followed by Manhattan Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge.

So how is your weekend so far?

7th Street & Lafayette Street

This is a Saturday night scene on the corner of 7th Street and Lafayette in the East Village. Notice the yellow taxi parked at the bottom left of the photo and another on the adjacent street before the traffic light junction. According to the Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC), there are over 13,000 yellow taxicabs in New York City. The cost of a taxi ride starts at $2.50 upon entry and $0.40 for every 1/5 of a mile of travel or 60 seconds of sitting in traffic congestions. A quick ride uptown from lower Manhattan can easily cost $12 to $20 (before tips) depending on the time of the day and traffic on the street.

I, myself, rarely use the taxi service because I have an unlimited use subway pass ($81/month) and the subway trains run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The few times I've taken a taxicab are when I was heading to the airport or to any place that is not near a subway station.

A frequent question I get from out-of-towners is, "Won't it be faster to take the taxi?" and the answer is almost always NO. Because of the density of automobile traffic in NYC, it is usually faster to get around the city via the subway.

So have to taken a subway recently? What do you think of it?

Union Square Protest

Earlier this week, I saw a group of marchers protesting on the street at Union Square Park. This is not an uncommon sight since Union Square is the place for most demonstrations of political and social agendas in the city.

However, the march that day was different in that they were voicing their opposition to the city's plan to redevelop the northern part of the public park (Union Square) into a commercial enterprise, i.e. a new restaurant space -- as stated on the sign saying, "Keep Union Sq Park Public" and the green outfit with yellow hard hats.

So have you ever been in a "social disobedience" or a march to protest a cause?

N.B.: Happy 4th of July everyone.

Boardwalk at South Street Seaport

This photo was taken at the boardwalk by South Street Seaport near Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. I was there to pick up the tickets for a 30-minute cruise around the city to view the waterfall installation by artist, Olafur Eliasson this coming holiday weekend. A fellow daily photo blogger is visiting NYC so we are going to meet up and go on this cruise with his family.

Can you guess who is the daily photo blogger?

Charlie the Pug

Meet my new neighbor Charlie, a 4-month old pug whom I met during his afternoon walk recently. It was very warm and humid outside and poor Charlie was exhausted so he plopped down under a shade and decided to rest his poor feet. His owner tried to coax him up but he refused to move so she had carried him home in her arms. What a lucky guy!

So what is your favorite thing to do on a warm, humid summer day?

Theme Photo: "No..." Sign

I am not on the list of blogs that are participating in this month's theme photo because I forgot to add my name to the list last month. Nonetheless, I am posting a photo for the theme.

This photo was taken inside the subway train and the sign warns passengers not to hold the doors when it is closing. Unfortunately, many people disregard the sign and hold the doors anyway.

Happy Theme Day everyone.

Pride Parade 2008

The New York City Pride Parade was held yesterday with a march down 5th Avenue from midtown Manhattan to the Greenwich Village. The annual parade usually attracts hundreds of organizations and thousands of marchers who participate in various events throughout the week. It is estimated that half a million tourists come to the city for this event.

This photo above shows employees of Google marching down 5th Avenue in front of the New York City Public Library on 42nd Street carrying the rainbow colors of Google's icon, which also happen to be the color of the festival.

So what did you do this weekend?

Water Taxi at South Street Seaport

This water taxi service have limited number of stops in lower Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and New Jersey but it cuts down on travel time for those living near the rivers. Notice the sign on the side of the boat for free water taxi to IKEA Brooklyn? We finally have an IKEA outlet in the city and it's in Red Hook on the south east side of Brooklyn.

The free water taxi service to IKEA leaves Pier 11 (Wall Street) in lower Manhattan and crosses the East River to Red Hook in 12 minutes. Thanks, Eliane for the information.

So do you have an IKEA near you?

Temporarily Out Of Service

Am having problem with my internet connection. Will post new photos when it is resolved.

Note sent via cell phone.

The Art of Elysium Benefit

A friend of mine invited me to a party to benefit The Art of Elysium, a non-profit organization that provides workshops in arts, music and design for children who are battling serious illnesses. The party, hosted at Milk Studio in the Meatpacking District, a trendy neighborhood north of Greenwich Village, was fun and exciting. I saw some beautiful art, like the silk screen of David Bowie in the photo above, ate some good food and met some new friends.

So when was the last time you went to a nice party?

Climbers

What do you do when you can't see the parade? Climb up the scaffolding in front of a building?Hang on to a utility pole or sit on top of a telephone box? These people did whatever it took to see the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island. Me, I just walked to the end of the street, away from the crowd, and watched the parade with my feet on the ground.

So have you ever climbed up a tree, a utility pole or a telephone box?